Van Persie: Dismissal a total joke

BARCELONA - Arsenal's Dutch striker Robin van Persie described his sending-off against Barcelona as "a total joke" after his team's 3-1 defeat on Tuesday ended their hopes of a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Van Persie, declared fit for the game only earlier on Tuesday, was shown a second yellow card by experienced Swiss referee Massimo Busacca in the 56th minute when he took a shot at goal after being flagged for offside.